Card shuffling machine



Dec. 18, 1934. c RUCKMAN ET AL 1,984,702

CARD SHUFFLING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 31, 1933 ZjwuQ/YM 4 (E72 2 fizwi man an (1 jfflzi y i. 174204272 50 n Dec. 18, 1934. c. RUCKMAN ET AL CARD SHUFFLING MACHINE Filed July 51, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CarZ fiur/{man (me! fffi? 73 1? Hall/11715011 Patented Dec. 18, 1934 CARD SHUFFLING MACHINE Carl Ruckman and Henry R. Hawkinson, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 31, 1933, Serial No. 682,974

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for shuflling cards.

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanical means for shuflling playing cards to ohviate hand shuflling thereof as commonly practiced, whereby persons unskilled in such operations may easily and readily effect thorough intermixing of the cards.

Another object is to provide a card shuflling machine in which its action on a pack of cards is accomplished through the medium of a revolving shaft so that the desired mixing of the cards may be attained by turning a crank or employing any other means for imparting a rotary motion 15 to the shaft.

Another object is to provide a means whereby cards disposed on opposite sides of a pack may be separated from the pack and brought together apart from the pack, and the operation successively and progressively repeated through the pack, and whereby on repeatedly subjecting the pack to such action the cards therein will be thoroughly shuflled.

Another object is to provide a device of the above character which is adapted to be employed on packs of cards of various sizes so as to accommodate packs of different widths, lengths and thicknesses.

A further object is to provide a card shuilling 30 machine which is simple in construction, em-

bodying few parts adapted to be readily assembled, which is not liable to get out of order, is easily operated, and which is highly efficient in action. I

With the foregoing objects in view together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and 40 claimed and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a plan view with portions broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the parts in a normal .position;

Fig. 4 is a view in section and elevation taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section similar to 50 that shown in Fig. 3 showing the parts as disposed on initial disposing of a pack of cards in position to be operated on by the device;

Fig. 6 is a View in section similar to Fig. 5 but illustrating the manner in which the cards are mixed by ejecting cards at opposite sides of the pack and bringing such ejected cards together;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6;

Referring to the drawings more specifically A indicates generally a housing which includes a top wall 8, side walls 9 and 10, front and back walls 11 and 12,-and a bottom wall 13, which walls as here shown impart to the housing a box-like form. The top wall 8 is provided with a card receiving slot 14 having a length and width slight 1y exceeding the length and thickness of a pack of cards to be fed therethrough.

Extending longitudinally of the slot interiorly of the housing is a blade 15 having its upper edge inclined downwardly from its central portion, and with the central portion thereof protruding into the slot; the blade being disposed preferably midway between the sides of the slot and being rigidly afiixed at its ends to the housing with its lower edge extending a short distance below the under side of the top wall 8.

Arranged on opposite sides of the plate 15 and extending longitudinally thereof, is a pair of rollers 16 and 17 revolubly mounted on shafts 18 and 19 carried on depending hangers 20 and 21 which are pivotally supported on rods 22 and 23 arranged adjacent the under side of the top wall 8 on opposite sides of the slot 14; the hangers 20 and 21 being thus mounted for rocking movement so that the rollers 16 and 17 may be advanced and retracted laterally relative to the plate 15.

Springs 24 and 25 wound around the rods 22 and 23 have certain end portions thereof bearing against the walls 11 and 12 of the housing and opposite end portions engaging the hangers 20 and 21, and which springs are tensioned to normally maintain the hangers with the rollers thereon in their advanced position adjacent opposed sides of the plate 15, and yieldably oppose movement of the rollers away from the plate 15 and from each other. The rollers are provided on their outer peripheries with yieldable friction members 26 and 27 which normally abut against opposite sides of the plate 15 as particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The shafts 18 and 19 are journalled in the hangers 20 and 21 and a pair of links 28 and 29 are pivotally connected to the shafts at corresponding ends thereof; the links '28 and 29 being formed with loops 30 and 31 which are passed through openings in the ends of the shafts to effect pivotal connection therewith. The links are formed at their opposite ends with loops 32 and 33 which engage openings in corresponding ends of a pair of shafts 34 and 35 journalled in a pair of spaced plates 36 and 37 carried on the side wall 10 of the housing, which side wall is provided with a cut away portion 39 to afford a space between the plates 36 and 37. Mounted on the shafts 34 and 35 within the space 39 is a pair of intermeshing spur gears 40 and 41 which on rotation of one of the shafts will effect rotation of the other. The gears 40 and 41 are preferably of corresponding diameters so that on rotation of one of the shafts 34 and 35 or rollers 16 and 17 the other will be revolved at a corresponding speed. c

The shaft 35 is fitted with a driving means here shown as comprising a crank 42 whereby the shaft 35 and its associated parts may be manually driven to effect rotation of the rollers 16 and 17 in opposite directions relative to each other.

Mounted on the housing interiorly thereof to extend downwardly at opposite ends of the slot 14 is a pair of cushions 43 and 44 the outer faces of which cushions protrude beyond the ends of the slot 14 and constitute yieldable-end margins for the latter.

The front wall 11 of the housing is formed at its lower portion with an opening 45 and arranged interiorly of the housing in the lower portion wall 46 the forward edge of which leads from the side margins of the opening 45 at a point spaced below the upper margin thereof, and the opposed lower edge of which inclined wall connects with an upward and rearwardly inclined wall 47, leading at right angles or perpendicular to the wall 46. An open ended slot 48 leads from the forward edge of the wall 46 intermediate the ends thereof.

Projecting downwardly and interiorly of the housing from the back wall 12 thereof is a ledge 49 arranged to extend intermediate the wall 47 and the rollers 16 spaced thereabove, with the forward and lower margin of the ledge spaced rearwardly from a vertical plane extending through the plate 15.

In the operation of the invention a pack of playing cards or the like, indicated at B, is inserted edgewise into the slot 14 face foremost, with a portion of the pack extending on opposite sides of the plate 15, the plate serving to divide the pack into two more or less equal portions according to the will of the operator. The pack is shoved downwardly astride the plate 15 and initially positioned with the lower portion thereof extending between the parallel rollers 16 and 17 as particularly shown in Fig. 5; the rollers then being spread apart in opposition to the springs 24 and 25 which latter maintain the rollers in frictional engagement under pressure with the outermost cards on the opposite sides of the pack. The cards are positioned With their ends abutting against the resilient cushions 43 and 44 at the opposite ends of the slot 14, which cushions are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the length of the cards so that the outer faces of the cushions will be depressed by the ends of the pack bearing thereagainst, thereby placing the portions of the cushions at the ends of thepack under tension so that the cushions will exert yieldable pressure against the ends of the cards. The cards will then be firmly held in place under the action of the springs 24 and 25 acting through the rollers 16 and 17 and by the cushions 43 and 44.

On rotating the rollersin a direction to cause their inner or adjacent peripheral portions to move downwardly, as by turning the crank 42,

the frictional engagement of the rollers with the outermost cards of the pack will cause such cards to move downwardly relative to the intermediate portion of the pack, as indicated in Fig. 6; contion the ledge 49 serves to prevent the cards from falling "backward and insures their being deposited face downward on the plate 46.

As the initially ejected cards pass out of contact with the rollers, the latter engage the succeeding cards on opposite sides of the pack so that on continued rotation, of the rollers such cards will be ejected and will be deposited on the previously discharged cards then supported on the plate 46.

In this manner continued rotation of the rollers will effect ejection of the series of cards on the opposite sides of the pack successively and progressively through the pack and in this manner effecting thorough shuffling of the cards. thereof is a downwardly and rearwardly inclined Manifestly if the pack is initially positioned with the plate 15 disposed at the exact center ofrthe pack then the last pair of cards to be engaged by the rollers and lying against the plate 15 will be ejected in unison.

However in practice the pack is not ordinarily evenly divided by the plate 15 and accordingly the cards on one side of the plate of the lesser number will be ejected before the excess cards on the opposite side of the plate are ejected, then continued operation of the rollers will cause such surplus cards to be ejected and disposed on the previously ejected cards in an order reversed to that occupied in the pack when the latter was arranged between the rollers. The operation above described is repeated such number of times as the operator may elect but ordinarily three or four operations will'adequately shuflie the cards.

Feeding of single cards from opposite sides of the pack is practically insured by reason of the frictional engagement of the cushions with the ends of the cards constituting the intermediate portion of the pack; the direct frictional engagement of the rollers with the outermost cards overcoming the resistance to advance of such cards afforded by the cushions, while the cushions act to offer greater resistance to advance of the cards lying adjacent to the outermost cards by the reason of the slippage afforded between contiguous cards.

The cards on being disposed on the plate 46 may be readily removed therefrom by reason of the slot 48 facilitating positioning of the fingers on opposite sides of the pack.

While the invention has been herein set forth in a specific application thereof it will be understood that it is subject to modification and accordingly we do not limit ourselves to the exact construction and arrangement shown but may employ such changes in the construction of the parts and in the arrangements as come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a card shuffling mechanism, a pair of parallel rollers mounted for movement toward and away from each other and adapted to receive a pack of cards therebetween, tensioned means for yieldably opposing transverse movement of said rollers away from each other and for maintaining the rollers in contact with the outermost cards of the pack under pressure, means for rotating said rollers in opposite direction relative to each other, and means co-operating with said rollers on rotation thereof for effecting removal of the outermost cards of the pack from the intermediate portion thereof.

2. In a card shuiliing mechanism, a housing having a card receiving slot, a plate extending longitudinally of said slot for dividing a pack of cards inserted in the slot into two portions, friction rollers arranged to engage the outermost cards of said portions, means for rotating said rollers in opposite directions to eiectthe outermost cards of the pack therefrom, and means for frictionally engaging the ends of the pack positioned in said slot.

3. In a card shuifling mechanism a pair of rollers, a plate extending longitudinally between said rollers, yieldabie means for opposing outward movement of said rollers relative to each other, and means for rotating said rollers in opposite directions relative to each other.

4. In a card shufliing mechanism, a housing having a card receiving slot, means for dividing a pack of cards inserted in said slot into two portions, friction rollers arranged to engage the outermost cards of the pack under pressure, means for rotating said rollers in opposite directions to effect ejection of the outermost cards of the pack, and means for frictionally engaging the ends of the pack while interposed between said rollers.

5. In a card shuilling mechanism, a housing having a card receiving slot, means for dividing a pack of cards inserted in said slot into two portions, friction rollers arranged to engage the outermost cards of the pack under pressure,

means for rotating said rollers in opposite direc-v tions to effect ejection of the outermost cards of the pack, means for frictionally engaging the ends oi the pack while interposed between said rollers. and said rollers being arranged to eject the cards from the pack in a downward direction, and means in said housing for collecting the ejected cards in a stack.

6. In a card shuming mechanism, a housing having a slot adapted to receive a pack of cards, resilient cushions at the ends of said slot for frictionally engaging the ends of a pack, a plate extending longitudinally of said slot intermediate the side margins thereof for dividing a pack in said slot into two portions, a pair of parallel rollers on opposite sides of said plate for engaging the outermost cards of the pack, pivoted hangers on which said rollers are carried to permit lateral movement of the rollers relative to each other, spring means exerting a pressure on said rollers urging said rollers toward each other. a pair of shafts carried by said casing, intermeshing gears carried by said pair of shafts, link connections between said shafts and the rollers, and means for meeting rotation of one of said gear carryin shafts.

CARL RUCK'MAN. HENRY R. HAWHNSON. 

